Lace-cabinet.



No. 781,982. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. J. M. AAL.

LACE CABINET.

APPLICATION rum) FEB. 28. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 781,982. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. J. M. AAL.

LACE CABINET. APPLICATION FILED r32. 28. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented February 7, 1905.

,. AT FICEO JORGEN M AAL, OF GLEJTVOOD, MINN ISOTA.

LACE-CABIN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,982, dated February '7', 1905.

Application filed February 28, 1903. Serial No. 146,479.

To rr/l wit m1 if 7111/1 57 mmrm'n:

Be it known that I, JORGEN M. AAL, of (ilenwood, county of Pope, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lace-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

The narrower cheaper patterns of lace are received by the retailer rolled up in balls and without being wound on a reel or other form of support. The balls of lace are usually kept loose in a box by the retailer, and it is necessary to pick them over to find certain desired patterns, and after nearly every sale it is necessary for some one to wind up the balls and put the box in order. The retailer sometimes winds the lace on pieces of cardboard when received from the manufacturer or wholesaler; but it has been found to be a tedious and laborious task, particularly where a considerable stock of lace is carried.

The object, therefore, of my invention is to produce a device by means of which a ball of lace can be readily and easily wound upon a suitable reel and an entire box put in order after having been picked over in a very short space of time.

A further object is to provide a receptacle wherein the reels of lace can be packed away with the pattern exposed to the customers.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a lace-cabinet embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the linen: a of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line ;1 y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan iew of the winding device removed from the cabinet and mounted on a suitable stand or other support, and Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5.

1n the drawings, 2 represents a suitable cabinet, which may be made of any material, preferably wood, and of any desired length and width, according to the amount of lace carried in stock and the number of compartments.

3 is a transverse partition dividing the interior of the cabinet at a point preferably about midway of its ends, and at is a longitudinal partition extending from the partition 3 to the outer end of the cabinet and dividing the space between said partition 3 and said end into two compartments. In a wide case 1 may provide several of these partitions 1 to suitably divide the space according to the number and size of the lace-reels. walls of the cabinet and the partition 1 are provided with parallel downwardly-inclined grooves 5, that are adapted to receive the edges of the thin boards or reels 6, whereon the lace is wound. The inclination of these reels in the cabinet exposes a considerable portion of the lace-pattern andenables the purchaser to pick out the desired pattern without the necessity of removing each reel from the cabinet. Doors 7 are provided on the top of the cabinet, having glass panels 8, .through which the lace is readily visible.

At the inner end of the cabinet I provide a chamber 9 and arrange brackets 10 therein, secured to the side walls. The cabinet and the chamber 9 are preferably open at said inner end for convenience in the operation of the winding device, as will hereinafter appear. In one of said brackets I mount a shaft 11, provided on its outer end with a bar 12, having inwardly-turned forked ends 13. Supported in bearings in the other bracket 10 and the wall of the cabinet is a second shaft 14, that is longitudinally movable in its bearings and provided with a bar similar to the one on the shaft 11, and said shaft 1i and the bar carried thereby are normally held projected toward the opposite bar by a spring 15, provided on said shaft between its bar and the bracket 10. 'ashers 16 are preferably provided on the shafts 11 and 14 between the bars 12 thereon and the brackets 10. The shaft 11 projects toward the wall of the cabinet and is adapted to receive a crank 17, by means of which the operator can revolve said shaft and its arm. The arms 12 are so arranged that the distance between them will The side normally be a little less than the width of the reel whereon the lace is wound, and when, therefore, the arms are separated by compression of the spring 15 and the forked end of the bars slipped over the edges of the reel the tension of the spring will cause the said forked ends to grip the reel and hold it firmly. The operator will then attach one end of the ball of lace to the reel and operating the crank rapidly wind up the lace in a neat compact form, ready to be packed away in the cabinet.

The cabinet that I have shown and described herein is designed to be placed across the counter, where the laces will be exposed to the view of a customer, and the winding device in the inner end of the cabinet will be within convenient reach of the clerk behind the counter. It will be understood, however, that I do not confine myself to a cabinet arranged horizontally, as it may be placed vertically upon a suitable base or behind the counter, if preferred. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a base 18, provided with standards 19 and 20, whereon shafts 11 and M are mounted. This base may rest upon or be secured to a counter or table near the cabinet.

The merchant having received a quantity of lace from the manufacturer or wholesaler, will provide a number of reels, assuming that the lace is of the narrower cheaper quality, that is rolled in balls, and placing a reel in the winding device, as described, will wind up each pattern upon a separate reel. As fast as the reels are filled or a pattern exhausted they are placed in the cabinet, where the customer, standing by the counter can easily inspect them and pick out the desired pattern. If a number of reels are unwound during such inspection and sale, the clerk, having finished his work with the customer, can easily put the reels again in the winding device and rapidly Wind up the lace that has been unwound and restore the cabinet to its normal condition, ready for inspection by another customer.

I claim as my invention A lace-cabinet comprising a rectangular casing adapted to be placed horizontally and transversely upon a store-counter and having a closed outer end and an open top and inner end and provided with transverse and longitudinal partitions dividing its interior near said outer closed end into compartments, said compartments having grooves in their side walls inclined toward said closed end and wherein lace-rolls are placed and convenientlyinspected from the front of the counter, a winding device provided in said open end and accessible therethrough for convenience in winding, and doors having glass panels hinged to the sides of said casing and adapted to swing down over and cover it and said winding device, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of February, 1903.

JORGEN M. AAL.

In presence of G. B. VVOLLAN, G. T. LEE. 

